Issues to consider

1. Size
   • If the model becomes too big then it is likely that its very size will scare people away from using it. However you need to cover all or most of the relevant areas.
   • Consider how long people will be using it for? For example in a staff review. If it takes many hours to complete and a manager has many reviews to carry out, the model will not be used.
   • Better to focus on the key, or most important, competency areas and just use these rather than the model not being used at all.
   • When designing a model with a large group or committee it is worthwhile setting a limit at the outset of 5 or 7 competency areas or clusters otherwise the model will grow and grow to include everyone’s personal topics of interest.
2. Language
   • As with all good communication the aim should be to get your message over to as many people as possible. Try to avoid jargon and unfamiliar or technical terms. Remember that while you and the other people designing the model may understand that obscure professional term many others may not.
   • Test the model with non-experts and potential users if possible and ask for suggestions for simplifying any language.
   • Good models should be inclusive and useable by as many people as possible. Otherwise readers may feel you are “talking down to them”.
   • There is also an equality issue as use of technical or unfamiliar language will prevent the use of the model by those with particular learning needs, different levels of education or those with a different “mother” tongue.
3. Measurable
   • In many of the uses of the model there is a benefit in being able to measure people against the competencies. In order to this there should be clear guidelines on how to score and what each score means. For this reason it is important that competencies are “behavioural” so that other people can see and comment on whether they are demonstrated.
     There are different ways to measure score:
     • One method would be to score the level of competency on a numeric scale, for example 10 being the highest and 1 the lowest. However the model needs to explain what each score means in terms of competence.
     • Another method is to rank someone against a scale of “very poor, poor, average, good, very good”.
     • Some models approach scoring in a different way by assuming that people possess the competency but may or may not demonstrate it at all times. Therefore rankings could be that a person demonstrating the competency “rarely, sometimes, often, always”.